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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Vintage flying dreams


Jeff Hamilton flies his 1942 Stearman biplane over East Spokane on Oct. 26 along with Dave Holmes and Jay Pemberton. 
 (Photos by JED CONKLIN / The Spokesman-Review)

MILLWOOD – Lots of folks dream of flying. As children, they watch jets zoom overhead, or they gaze at crop-dusters circling above fields and wonder what it would be like to soar through the air. That fascination was reflected on the faces of the huge crowd at the Fourth of July Spokane Indians game, as four yellow-winged biplanes soared overhead in tight formation.

These colorful Stearman planes are owned and piloted by four local men who met at Felts Field. “Our hangars are within a hundred yards of each other,” said Jeff Hamilton. Their love of flying and passion for these vintage World War II aircraft have created a tight bond between them. They’ve been flying together for several years.

“It all starts with how fun it is to fly Stearmans,” Hamilton said. With 40 years of flying experience behind him, he still gets a thrill when he slips into the open cockpit. “When you get into a Stearman,” he continued, “you are back in 1942.”

Named after its designer Lloyd Stearman, these rugged, dependable planes were used as trainers for both Army and Navy pilots throughout World War II. Hamilton said it’s a challenging airplane to fly. “They made it that way to weed out pilots during training.”

More than 8,600 Stearmans were produced. After the war, farmers bought many of them for use as crop-dusters.

The pilots describe flying Stearmans as old-fashioned stick flying. Hamilton said, “The wind, noise and vibration is like driving an out of tune Harley on a rough road.”

The youngest member of the group, 25-year-old Jay Pemberton, grew up around airplanes. “Aviation is a family hobby,” he said. He got his pilot’s license at 17. Pemberton said flying this aircraft is a continuous challenge. “You have to take it extremely seriously,” he said. “You can’t do it casually.”

But the allure is irresistible. Larry Tobin, a retired TWA pilot, has flown for 45 years. “I wanted to be a pilot since I was a little kid,” he said. “I used to sweep the hangar, and the pilots would take me up.” When he retired, he decided to rebuild an old Stearman. He said, “Flying these is probably the highest level of airplane difficulty.”

Fellow pilot David Holmes had a different introduction to flight. He simply walked into Felts Field and signed up for lessons. “It’s easy,” he said. “You don’t need to be in the military.” Twenty-five years later he’s still flying. His eyes flashed as he described what it’s like to soar into the blue with crisp air whipping around him. “It’s a great distraction from busy life,” he said. Pemberton agreed and called it “escaping into the sky.”

The formation flying that these pilots perform requires extreme concentration and vigilance, and according to Holmes, that’s part of the appeal. He said formation flying requires teamwork and trust. “Having a team is so much more fun than flying by myself.”

Once airborne the planes fly so close to each other that they use hand signals to communicate. In 2006, this group competed in a national championship and took second place for team flying. Though the maneuvers they complete are risky, Hamilton said, “None of us have ever crashed or damaged an airplane.”

On a recent autumn day, the pilots suited up and prepared their aircrafts for a quick midmorning flight. The biplanes slowly taxied down the runway and took to the cerulean skies. Wispy white clouds strayed along the horizon and within minutes the ground below blended into a jumble of color. Bright checkerboards of lawns, graced by crimson maples and golden oaks, gave way to the utilitarian gray of Interstate 90. The roar of the wind chased the scent of autumn through the open cockpits.

Flying in tight formation, lead pilot Tobin directed the flanking pilots with a series of hand signals. In a graceful aerial ballet the planes tipped their wings and dipped and swooped like mischievous children sent outdoors to play.

As with any aircraft, landing can be tricky, but this experienced team touched ground with nary a bump and sailed to a smooth stop.

Flying isn’t the only attraction these planes hold. The team also finds great satisfaction in repairing and rebuilding the antique biplanes. The retired Hamilton and Tobin both admit they’re in their hangars every day. “My wife says I live here,” said Tobin with a smile.

However, the pilots have found something even more fulfilling than repairing the planes or flying them in competition. They often take World War II veterans up in their vintage Stearmans. “I’ve had them sit with tears flowing down their faces,” said Tobin. “I haul them whenever I can. I let them do the flying except for takeoff and landing. I really believe this is the greatest generation.”

David Holmes agreed. “Being able to share these planes with veterans is giving a gift you cannot buy.”

These four pilots count themselves fortunate. Not only do they get to live the dream of flying, they’re also able to share their aircraft with those who piloted Stearmans long ago in vastly different circumstances.

“We’re keeping history alive,” said Holmes.